Love Affairs in Chang’an

Chapter 27: Choose a tree to live on

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The day before New Year's Eve, it snowed. Thousands of miles of snow drifting in the pass, wrapped in silver makeup, is a vast expanse.

On the main campus of Prince Wu's Mansion, there was a scene of thunderous roars and blood boiling. Hundreds of sergeants formed a circle in the snow and cheered passionately.

In the circle, Qin Mubai was naked and riding on a horse, fighting against Yuwen Hongtai and Yin Yang!

During this period of time, whenever he had time, Qin Mubai often brought the two of them together to practice and compete in martial arts. Gradually, the sergeants in the palace knew about it and came to watch the fun. As time went by, more and more people gathered to watch the excitement, and gradually formed a small scale, as if their daily martial arts competition had become a must-see event.

Yu Wen Hongtai was a natural warrior. He was usually naive and silly. As soon as he got on the horse and started fighting, he immediately became full of murderous intent and energetic, as if he had been reborn. The weapon he used was a relatively uncommon heavy weapon—a gold-plated phoenix wing!

It is the kind of weapon used by Yuwen Chengdu in the romance legend. If it weren't for the fact that Yuwen Chengdu was a fictional character by a historical novelist, Qin Mubai would have thought that Yuwen Hongtai was a descendant of Yuwen Chengdu - what a coincidence!

This weapon weighs over a hundred kilograms and cannot be used by anyone except a person of immense strength. There is a spear with a phoenix beak in the middle, and large blades like phoenix wings on both sides. It can chop, cut, pick, stab, split, sweep, and combine. It can be used like a knife, a sword, a spear, a stick, or an axe. It can be used to kill in all directions. Extremely powerful. At the turn of the Sui and Tang Dynasties, armor casting technology was developing rapidly, so many armor-breaking heavy weapons became popular, among which the gold-plated phoenix-winged bell was one of the best.

Yuwen Hongtai's martial arts skills are indeed extraordinary. At first, it was very difficult for Qin Mubai to fight with him. Yuwen Hongtai was also very straightforward and he never knew what "letting go" meant. Even though Qin Mubai was his immediate boss, he would try his best whenever he got on a horse to compete. Several times, Qin Mubai was almost seriously injured by him.

However, after a period of hard training, especially after special training by Qin Shubao and Cheng Zhijie, Qin Mubai's martial arts improved by leaps and bounds, and he has completely surpassed Yuwen Hongtai!

Yin Yang's weapon is a mountain-chopping sword. This kind of weapon is not a conventional weapon of the army, but is specially made by himself. It is somewhat similar to Qinglong Yanyue. Generally, only generals in the army who are successful in martial arts can use it. Yin Yang was born in a martial arts family and had practiced swordsmanship since childhood. After getting on the horse, he still only used the sword. He felt that the horizontal sword for foot combat was too short and he was not used to using a gun, so he designed and built a long-handled double-edged sword. His martial arts skills have always been outstanding among the many military academies in Prince Wu's Mansion.

Now, Yuwen Hongtai and Yin Yang join forces to fight against Qin Mubai. The two sides fought back and forth for dozens of rounds, but there was still no winner or loser. The military academies watching the battle cheered loudly and wildly, and they were all crazy.

The snow scene is picturesque, the battle is fierce, and a unique show is being staged in Prince Wu's Mansion.

I don't know when, Li Ke came outside the crowd. Someone immediately spotted him and hurriedly bowed and gave way. The crowd consciously moved out of the way, and Li Ke walked into the circle to enjoy the battle from the closest distance.

"What a close and fierce battle." Li Ke admired it for a while and praised, "I originally thought that Qin Mubai was just an elegant and handsome young man who was good at playing music and had many talents. I didn't expect that his martial arts skills were so amazing. He really deserves to be a general!"

The arrival of Li Ke made the military academies less enthusiastic. Qin Mubai and others also noticed it, and then they saw Li Ke coming. So they stopped fighting together and came to pay homage to King Wu.

"Very good. The martial arts of the three of you are extraordinary. Especially Colonel Qin, who can be called the best tiger general in the world. He is worthy of being the son of Qin Shubao, the God of War!" Li Ke praised him in public and said, "It's freezing cold. It’s snowing heavily again. You should go back and take a shower and change clothes. Mu Bai, come to my room after you’ve finished packing.”

"Yes, Your Highness." Qin Mubai agreed, and he laughed heartily with Yuwen Hongtai and Yin Yang and left, changing their clothes and taking a bath.

Li Ke invited Qin Mubai into his living room and bedroom for the first time, lit the fire and cooked tea. The room is as warm as a spring day, and the fragrance of tea is even more pleasant.

"It seems that he has something private to talk to me about today." Qin Mubai thought as he sat down opposite Li Ke. When he entered the room, he glanced at it and found that there was a large pile of books next to Li Ke's bed, piled like a hill at the head of his bed. Although he didn't look carefully to distinguish which books they were, Qin Mubai saw the books on the top layer. Among them are a military book, a political commentary on current affairs, and an ancient Legalist book from the pre-Qin period.

Li Ke spent more than half of his time locked in his room, and few people came in. Only today did Qin Mubai know that although this guy kept a low profile, he usually practiced a lot. The way he cultivates is to read books! The nobles of Chang'an all collected books to show their scholarly family status. The study rooms of many wealthy families are filled with a large number of books, but many of them are just for decoration.

But these books by Li Ke are obviously not decorations—because they are placed beside the bed. Any book placed by the bedside must be read frequently.

Military books, political treatises, ancient books...but none of them are such things as poems, books, music scores, travel notes and miscellaneous talks that are now popular among nobles.

"Why, Mu Bai also likes reading?" Li Ke asked when he saw Qin Mubai was interested in the pile of books.

"I usually read a little bit." Qin Mubai smiled and said, "But the books I read are very miscellaneous. Most of them are superficial things like unofficial history notes that seek to intrigue and make people laugh. Unlike His Highness, they are all about research. Some profound and profound classics.”

"Haha, I'm just bored and browsing." Li Ke smiled casually and said, "But I see that you seem to be very desperate in martial arts recently. Why?"

"Huh? Why did His Highness suddenly ask about this? Isn't it his duty to practice martial arts for the general?" Qin Mubai said, but there was a faint feeling in his heart: Did Li Ke also hear the news

Li Ke chuckled, poured tea from the kettle casually, and said, "Mu Bai, I asked you to come here today because I have something to tell you. You have actually wanted to tell me about this matter for a long time. But I don’t dare to say it, it’s hard to say it, and it’s inconvenient to say it, so I have to take the initiative to talk to you.”

Listening to Li Ke's tongue-twisting words, Qin Mubai knew in his heart: This guy really knew. Well, we have to face it sooner or later, so it’s better to be clear about it.

"Then please tell me, Your Highness."

"Yesterday I went to the palace to attend the annual royal family banquet. At the family banquet, my father mentioned a small matter. After the Chinese New Year, he will form a personal guard to protect the inner palace." Li Ke said, "About A few months ago, a palace guard general drank too much and rode a crazy horse. He actually broke into the inner palace and killed the two younger emperors who were beside his father. My sister was frightened, and my father was furious. So I came up with this idea - this personal guard is mainly to protect the emperor and those around him."

"The emperor also has the little prince with him?" Qin Mubai asked.

"Yes. After the queen passed away, the father took the youngest Nine Emperors brother Li Zhi and the little imperial sister Sizi, both of whom were born to the queen, with him and raised them personally. To put it bluntly, this personal guard is actually the father's personal "Nurse." Li Ke said, "Mu Bai, I have seen you practicing martial arts crazily these days. At first I thought you were doing it on a whim. After attending the family dinner yesterday, I realized that you were preparing for the selection. Guards, get ready?"

"Yes." At this point, Qin Mubai didn't want to hide it anymore, and said frankly, "My father has already signed me up, and I am also more interested in this matter."

"Very good, very frank." Li Ke nodded with a smile and said, "A good bird chooses a tree to rest on. If I were you, I would do the same."

Qin Mubai frowned slightly: "Your Highness, are you blaming me?"

"No, absolutely not." Li Ke waved his hand and said, "If I had a grudge in my heart to blame you, I would never call you here today and talk to you about it frankly. To be honest, I have always been I think you are a rare talent, and it is really unworthy of you to stay as a small captain in my stagnant Prince Wu's palace. So what if I promote you to a fifth-grade military officer? It's rare for you to have a big future in the palace. Since I regard you as a brother, I hope you can have a good future. I won't be so selfish as to keep you by my side as an insignificant official. "

"I am both grateful and ashamed that His Highness has such a broad mind." Qin Mubai bowed his hands.

"It's nothing, it should be." Li Ke smiled calmly and said, "After I was relegated and came back this time, many of my old friends hid far away from me and treated me, Li Ke, as the god of plague. . Some of the court ministers who treated me well in the past also kept away from me, as if I, Li Ke, would really destroy their wives and families. However, I don't blame them, I know that now I am the prince. The King of Wei has a thorn in his side. No matter how low-key I am, they are still thinking about me. On the surface, my Prince Wu's Mansion is a stagnant water, but in fact, it is full of undercurrents. Mu Bai, you know how many princes and Princes of Wei there are in my house. Eyeliner?”

"Is there such a thing? Then why can't His Highness find a way to drive these people out?" Qin Mubai couldn't help but frowned. He had never had contact with the prince and King Wei, and this was indeed the first time he had heard of such a thing.

"What are you driving them out for? They like to stay here, so let them stay." Li Ke smiled indifferently and said, "I have nothing to be ashamed of, and there is nothing worth worrying about. On the contrary, if I take these people Driven away, it will only make the prince and King Wei even more suspicious. They may want to make some trouble again and file a complaint against me."

"So, His Highness is indeed wise." Qin Mubai said, thinking: This is the first time Li Ke has told me about the conflict between him, the Crown Prince and the King of Wei. Although there is only one scaly claw, it is enough to show that the struggle for the right to inherit the throne has penetrated into every corner.

"You are Qin Shubao's son. You were promoted by your father from the beginning. Although you are an official in my palace, Prince Wu, I have never regarded you as my subordinate. In fact, you should always be "The emperor's man." Li Ke said with a smile, "Do you still remember the scene when the emperor wanted to give you an official position? I was just a favor. You should have jumped out of Prince Wu's house. , to serve as an official next to my father."

"Your Highness said so, so I have nothing to say." Qin Mubai cupped his hands and said, "No matter what, I am very grateful to His Highness for your promotion and kindness."

"These are all clichés and don't sound right to you." Li Ke waved his hand and said, "You and I, as well as Shuang'er, have all grown up playing together. Although we went our separate ways when we grew up, my friendship with you is still there. But it is still there. You may not feel what a prince is like. For us, true friendship is very rare. Friendship, love, and even family affection have become indifferent and rare in the struggle for power. Sometimes it seems more like a sarcastic joke. Mu Bai, let me tell you frankly! I like Shuang'er very much and have always wanted to get married to her, but I also know that marrying her might harm her. She even harmed your Qin family. Now, the Crown Prince and the King of Wei are not compatible with me. I really don’t know where I offended them. I feel helpless and helpless during this time. , Fall in love, but you don’t have to stay together. I always tried hard to marry Shuang’er, but now I have changed my mind.”

"What changed your mind?" Qin Mubai asked.

"Friendship is unparalleled and true love is rare." Li Ke shook his head and said with a smile, "When you truly love someone, you will sincerely hope that she will live well, and that is enough. It is not necessary to keep her by your side and have her. ”

Qin Mubai was silent. This Li Ke was indeed a passionate person with a sweet temperament.

"As for you, Qin Mubai, although our identities are very different, I have always regarded you as my good friend, not as a subordinate or slave." Li Ke said, "Since we are friends, then I I just hope you can live a better life. It’s a great thing for you to leave Prince Wu’s palace and work for the emperor.”

"..." Qin Mubai was silent for a long time, frowned slightly, and said, "What about you, Your Highness?"

"I will be fine." Li Ke smiled slightly and said, "Although the Crown Prince and the King of Wei are intent on targeting me, I will not give them any excuse. I am just a concubine prince. When it comes to fighting for the heir apparent, there is no way to win. Not me. All I want now is to be a peaceful prince and live in peace and prosperity. As time goes by, they will know that I will not pose any threat to them, and then it will be fine. "

Qin Mubai shook his head, speechless. It doesn’t matter whether Li Ke’s words were sincere or false, but the fact is that he has never made any move against the prince or the king of Wei, and he has directly expressed any obvious ambition in fighting for the heir apparent. The Crown Prince and the King of Wei were intent on targeting him simply because he was too capable, with outstanding talents in both civil and military affairs, and was a potential threat.

If being competent is also a mistake, then Li Ke indeed deserves death.

But this may not be too ironic!

"I have very few friends, and I have always cherished them, and you are one of them, Mubai." Li Ke raised his tea cup, "Here, let me have tea instead of wine, and I will give you a ride. Good birds choose trees to roost in, and I hope you leave the palace. After that, you can prosper!”

"Thank you, Your Highness!" Qin Mubai raised his glass and clinked it with him. He drank the tea in one gulp, but felt quite uncomfortable in his heart.

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